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The bleacher report is the biggest joke to begin with, not to mention as stated earlier the article is from 2009. It's poorly written and overall is a horrible article. I'm overwhelmed at your standpoint on this article also, next time we pull some articles from years in the past, atleast state some type of ground for conversation instead of, "BETTMAN RUINED HOCKEY, GO."

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Guest Johnz96

The bleacher report is the biggest joke to begin with, not to mention as stated earlier the article is from 2009. It's poorly written and overall is a horrible article. I'm overwhelmed at your standpoint on this article also, next time we pull some articles from years in the past, atleast state some type of ground for conversation instead of, "BETTMAN RUINED HOCKEY, GO."

As long as Bettman is still commissioner the article is pertinent. Why are you overwhelmed by the article too difficult for you to comprehend?

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It could probably be argued he's done a lot of good for hockey. But regardless, Bleacher Report doesn't have a shred of credibility or respectability so anything coming from there isn't going to be taken seriously.

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Guest Johnz96

What do you mean trollin??? First time anyone has accused me of trollin

Bettman changed the game so his weaker teams would have a better chance of success 96 Panthers being a perfect example.

Major offensive records will never be broken. 2459 fewer goals and over 6000 fewer points scored by players were scored in 97-98 than just 5 years previously in 92-93, Bettman's first full year as commissioner and more than 2000 fewer goals last year than in his first full year.

Personally I don't care too much where the game is being played or about the finances of the NHL except where it concerns the on ice product.

All the obstruction that was allowed favored the trap and so did the bigger goalie equipment, you had to use some form of the trap to win. This was all manipulated by Bettman to manufacture parity by circumventing talent.

His excuse initially for allowing all the obstruction is that too many penalties would slow the game down but as it has been argued then and has been proven now that the player and coaches will adapt to how the game is called. If all penalties are called all the time (when humanly possible, of course a ref may miss some if his view was obstructed and of course we all mistakes) the players, coaches and fans would know what to expect. His excuse for the goalie equipment is that players are bigger and stronger with harder shots and that they need the bigger equipment to protect themselves. At the all-star games they record speeds of slap shots, rarely do they post times higher than Al MaCinnes or Al Iafrate used to post back in the eighties. Back in the seventies Bobby Schmautz shot the puck right through the net a few times. When a goalie played the puck before Bettman was commissioner the players could check him where they can't touch the goalies anymore. So why do they need the extra equipment? I work out with a 20 lb. vest and i could put a regular sized jersey over it and I can't even notice in the mirror and I am sure it would offer more protection than all that big huge padding that they are wearing. It is not protection but puck stopping equipment. On Hockey Night in Canada, Ron MacLean once put Grant Fuhr's entire catching glove into a catching glove goalies use today to demonstrate the great difference in size.

The bigger goalie equipment benefited the trap style of play and Bettman allowed both so he indeed can get blamed for it.

His underlying motive for allowing obstruction and the bigger goalie equipment was to manufacture parity. As I have shown the goalie equipment need not be any bigger to protect in fact they are more protected by the rules and with the development of technology I am sure they can produce goalie equipment just as big as it was in the eighties that is be much more protective as well. And now that they have instituted the "new rules" it is proven what a joke "calling all the obstruction would slow the game with too many penalties" excuse is.

I think it is so funny when the NHL refers to the adjustment they finally made after the last lockout as "new rules". Excuse me but interference, hooking, tripping, holding, have always been rules the only difference is how often they are to be called.

If they don't reduce the goalie equipment to the size it was before Bettman was commissioner major offensive records will never be broken. It always creates a lot of excitement and media attention when someone is going for a record. I think hockey is more entertaining to watch when there is not such a strict emphasis on defense

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As long as Bettman is still commissioner the article is pertinent. Why are you overwhelmed by the article too difficult for you to comprehend?

I was being sarcastic due to your lack of any ground with your original post. "Gary Bettman is the worst thing to happen to hockey", while many would agree with you, I clicked on the thread hoping to read exactly why you would think he is the worst thing to happen to hockey. You know, considering that the article is from 2009, we've probably had a conversation or two about that article. So, when I click a thread like this, I expect some type of background or basis for a statement like the title. Just sayin'

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Although I know most hockey fans don't like Bettman and think he is a weasel they are unaware of the extent of his surreptitiousness

I agree about the weasel part, but what exactly is so surreptitious about his actions? His job isn't to make the fans like him, and he much like the president he can't just change things on a whim without people knowing about it.

Most of your complaints should be directed to the board of governors, not Bettman.

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Guest Johnz96

I agree about the weasel part, but what exactly is so surreptitious about his actions? His job isn't to make the fans like him, and he much like the president he can't just change things on a whim without people knowing about it.

Most of your complaints should be directed to the board of governors, not Bettman.

He compromised the game to allow weaker teams a better chance of winning games. Hockey would be so much more entertaining if goalie equipment was as small as it was before he became commissioner.

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Guest Johnz96

"He" didn't do any of that, the board of governors did. He's just a figure head, any one else in the world can become commissioner and nothing would change unless the board of governors agree to it.

It was all part of Bettman's plans to further parity (parody). He sold the board on governors on the need for parity to market the game and especially to give newer markets a chance

"He" didn't do any of that, the board of governors did. He's just a figure head, any one else in the world can become commissioner and nothing would change unless the board of governors agree to it.

It was all part of Bettman's plans to further parity (parody). He sold the board of governors on the need for parity to market the game and especially to give newer markets a chance to compete and thus become more marketable.

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I think you should sue Bettman for doing what the people who employ him, want him to do. I'd like to see how that works out for you. Do you really think that he is so smart, that he is going to "fool" 30 billionaires into doing what is bad for their pocketbooks. He'd be gone in a second if that happened. You think that they give a s*** about your belief that Bettman has ruined the game? If you like hockey as much as you imply that you do, they already have you hooked. Sure, you may turn it off for a while, but you'll be back. We always come back to the game we love, when we realize that there is no better game on earth.

People thought Clarence Campbell and John Ziegler did things that were bad for hockey before Bettman came in. Nothing new I guess.

Like others have stated, I don't understand your need to post a link to a 3 year old article here, especially one that you wrote. Other than fishing for web hits. Did you think to use the search topic function to see if this topic has been covered ad nauseum? I'll bet your article has already been linked to before, probably within a day of it being posted. If I recall, there were a whole lot of people here, blaming Bettman for everything from the Aids epidemic, to Global Warming, as well as the Penguins sucess that year.

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Guest Johnz96

I think you should sue Bettman for doing what the people who employ him, want him to do. I'd like to see how that works out for you. Do you really think that he is so smart, that he is going to "fool" 30 billionaires into doing what is bad for their pocketbooks. He'd be gone in a second if that happened. You think that they give a s*** about your belief that Bettman has ruined the game? If you like hockey as much as you imply that you do, they already have you hooked. Sure, you may turn it off for a while, but you'll be back. We always come back to the game we love, when we realize that there is no better game on earth.

People thought Clarence Campbell and John Ziegler did things that were bad for hockey before Bettman came in. Nothing new I guess.

Like others have stated, I don't understand your need to post a link to a 3 year old article here, especially one that you wrote. Other than fishing for web hits. Did you think to use the search topic function to see if this topic has been covered ad nauseum? I'll bet your article has already been linked to before, probably within a day of it being posted. If I recall, there were a whole lot of people here, blaming Bettman for everything from the Aids epidemic, to Global Warming, as well as the Penguins sucess that year.

I've said enough. Time to start a new, "Hudler Sucks" thread.

I don't care how much they make and I think Bettman lucked out because hockey was getting more popular in the U.S. anyway because of the "Miracle on Ice" and International success the U.S has had since then. And as is evidenced by their spending before the Cap the board of governors aren't exactly the brightest bunch

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